MS Dhoni Still the Best Man to Lead India in ODIs?

The shocking ODI series loss to Bangladesh has sparked off an old debate - Is MS Dhoni still the best man to lead India in ODIs? (Dhoni offers to give up ODI captaincy)

Dhoni and his team are under pressure and the calls for him to step down have begun again. NDTV cricket expert Sunil Gavaskar though feels any knee-jerk reaction will only harm Indian cricket. Gavaskar told NDTV, "We don't need to look beyond Dhoni for a couple of years." (Former stars oppose Dhoni's move)

Dhoni hit out at critics of his captaincy in a sarcastic manner at the post match press conference after the 2nd ODI vs Bangladesh, saying, "I know the media really loves me, so these are the questions that will always keep popping up, but yes if it's a justifiable thing, that if you remove me then Indian cricket will start doing really well and if I'm the reason that bad things are happening to Indian cricket then I would love to step away and play as a player." (Five reasons for India's historic series loss to Bangladesh)

That might sound like a sarcastic reply to an uncomfortable question, but there's no denying the fact that Dhoni and the team are under pressure. (Mustafizur Destroys Indian Batting, Does an Encore of Fifers)

The captain, who has never really lost his cool, either on the field or at a press conference, sounded hurt after the series loss and responded to questions about the possibility of him stepping down, by saying, "I'm always the one who is blamed for Indian cricket, so maybe that's the ultimate thing that needs to be done, because it's all because of me that everything is happening." (Why Bangladesh's rise spells doom for India and Pakistan)

Criticism for a loss goes hand in hand with a below-par performance, just as credit accompanies a good showing, and Dhoni has been given credit and deservedly so, for India's many big achievements under his captaincy. (Dhoni not 'Captain Cool' anymore, needs 'yoga': Bishan Singh Bedi)

From the 2007 World T20 win to the 2011 ICC World Cup title to the 2013 Champions Trophy title - there's no denying the fact that Dhoni has been a great ODI captain. After all, he is the most successful Indian ODI skipper. However, a quick look at the statistics shows that though the team's win percentage under Dhoni's captaincy overall is 60%, since January 2014 that has dipped to 50%.

Dhoni took over the reigns of the team in the aftermath of one of India's most painful cricketing chapters - the early World Cup exit in 2007, co-incidentally after a loss to Bangladesh. He has in the past too maintained that he never craved captaincy and doesn't want to cling on to it.

He echoed that sentiment again on Sunday saying, "I was never really in line to become the captain. It was a job or responsibility for me. I've taken that responsibility, it was given to me and I've taken it. If they want to take it away from me, I'm happy because to me what's more important is to play for the country."

Dhoni has proved his captaincy credentials in both Tests and ODIs. He is 33 years old and has made it clear that he intends to continue playing. He has said that he is 'enjoying his cricket.'

However, the question has to be asked - should he continue as captain or hand over the reigns of the ODI team to Virat Kohli? Former captains don't think the time is right for that. Dilip Vengsarkar has said, "I don't think Dhoni should be replaced. He recently led India to the World Cup semi-finals and this series is the first after that. He should continue as captain."

Ajit Wadekar meanwhile has said, "I think he's still the best bet for captaincy in ODIs and T20s. I suppose he should be retained as captain."

What the team needs right now is good, solid planning and execution. There's no point in debating if the right changes were made and if the best players took the field. After all, India did field a full strength team vs Bangladesh.

At a time when there is no head coach, the youngsters need a guiding hand from their seniors. Dhoni the leader is perhaps what the team needs most at the moment.

The best captains in the business, from Sourav Ganguly to Steve Waugh to Ricky Ponting, have all gone through phases where they were criticised after their teams did poorly.

They all managed to bounce back hard because they were all strong individuals and the one thing that we know for sure about Dhoni is that he is as strong as they come.